At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England, until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes a celebrity overnight.
Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear.
Richard Armitage narrates the 20th Anniversary Edition of this sprawling fantasy with elegance. In 1806, the slightly pompous and painstakingly precise Mr. Norrell emerges from rural obscurity to proclaim himself the last true magician in England. As an epic story of the Napoleonic Wars and wizardry unfolds, audacious Jonathan Strange becomes, first, Norrell's pupil and, then, his greatest rival.
